{
  "id": 138038,
  "title": "There’s a long history of person-first language in advocacy. Here’s why we should use it for Long COVID.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/theres-a-long-history-of-person-first-language-in-advocacy-heres-why",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-04T15:41:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Sick Times",
    "slug": "the-sick-times",
    "url": "https://thesicktimes.org/2026/08/04/theres-a-long-history-of-person-first-language-in-advocacy-heres-why-we-should-use-it-for-long-covid/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The term \"patient\" when referring to individuals with Long COVID has become deeply entrenched, despite efforts to combat stigma. This usage strips people of their agency and reduces them to medical identities, much like the term \"victims\" was avoided by those who fought against AIDS. In the 1980s, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) rejected being labeled as \"victims\" and instead identified as \"People With AIDS\" to emphasize their humanity and agency. Similarly, people with Long COVID have fought for recognition, research, and clinical trials, yet the predominant use of \"patient\" continues to perpetuate stigma and diminish their personal experience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not escaped this trend, with its own website still using \"patients\" to describe those affected by Long COVID. The NIH also recommends person-first language, which emphasizes the individual before their condition. However, the CDC's stance appears contradictory, as it claims to combat stigma by employing language that does the opposite. Other organizations, such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), have also used \"patient\" in their reports on Long COVID, even extending its use beyond clinical contexts to describe all aspects of life for those affected. This usage reinforces the illness identity and perpetuates a hierarchy of dependency, which can be dangerous in a climate where Long COVID is already viewed through a psychological lens. Advocates argue for a shift to \"people with Long COVID\" to restore agency and human dignity, similar to the approach taken by the AIDS community in the 1980s.",
  "summary": "Labeling people with Long COVID as “patients” is stigmatizing and personally and politically harmful. It strips personal agency. And frankly, it’s bad PR. The post There’s a long history of person-first language in advocacy. Here’s why we should use it for Long COVID. first appeared on The Sick Times .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Medical Xpress",
        "title": "A lesser-known SARS-CoV-2 protein may offer clues to long COVID symptoms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/a-lesser-known-sars-cov-2-protein-may-offer-clues-to-long-covid",
        "published": "2026-08-05T23:40:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Futurity",
        "title": "Stress plays a role in women’s long COVID",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/stress-plays-a-role-in-womens-long-covid",
        "published": "2026-08-06T16:48:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sick Times",
        "title": "How do you spot Long COVID misinformation?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/how-do-you-spot-long-covid-misinformation",
        "published": "2026-08-07T21:26:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}